2 May 2017

Police reassure Canberra community after Uber passenger left terrified

| Glynis Quinlan
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ACT Policing has reassured the Canberra community that there is no ongoing threat to public safety following a concerning incident which left a young female Uber passenger terrified in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police are investigating the incident in which the 26-year-old woman rang Triple Zero at 1.50 am on Sunday morning after an Uber driver had allegedly made disturbing comments about bombs and ISIS that left her concerned for her safety.

“The incident is subject to an ongoing investigation and ACT Policing has engaged with AFP and other law enforcement and intelligence agencies in relation to the allegations made during the incident and reported on by the media,” ACT Policing said in a statement.

Police report they attended a location in Hume after receiving the Triple Zero call and spoke to both the driver and the complainant.

“Police conducted a search of the vehicle and no items of interest were located,” said the police statement.

“Police conducted initial background checks and established there was no threat to the public or the complainant.

“The driver was not taken into custody. Police drove the complainant to their residence.”

Police have urged the community to report any suspicious behaviour.

“The National Security Hotline is the single point of contact for the public to report possible signs of terrorism,” the statement said.

“The hotline also provides information to callers on a wide range of national security matters. If you see anything suspicious, report it to the National Security Hotline on 1800 1234 00.”

An Uber spokesman told ABC News that the driver had been banned from the Uber app while he was under investigation and that Uber would continue to liaise with police on the matter.

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